Consumer Reports: Stone IPA top brew in blind taste test

Consumer Reports has confirmed what a lot of beer consumers have already reported: Stone IPA is an excellent ale.

The India Pale Ale from Escondido's Stone Brewing took top honors in a national magazine's recent taste test of 23 ales and lagers. Consumer Reports ranked each beer on a scale of 0 to 100 points; Stone IPA scored the most points, 94, while Magic Hat #9 finished last at 42.

No other beers from San Diego County rated; Consumer Reports focused on beers that are available across the country.

The magazine described the tested beers as "craft" brews, but acknowledged "that term is somewhat squishy." True enough: the panel judged beers from boutique breweries owned by MillerCoors (Blue Moon) and Anheuser-Busch (Shock Top).

The anonymous panelists described Stone IPA as "very fragrant, with floral, fruity, and juniper notes from the added hops. Strong, lingering bitterness rounds out the flavors but might be too much for some people."

(Full disclosure: to my everlasting regret, I was one of those squeamish people -- at least during my first encounter with Stone IPA, back in 1997. Since then, my taste buds learned to love hops and this hop-intensive IPA.)